Shemar Moore Speaks Out Against CBS’s Decision to Cancel ‘SWAT’
Series lead Shemar Moore expressed his disappointment in the recent decision by CBS to cancel ‘SWAT’ after its season six finale on May 19th. The show, an update of the 1970s series, grew its total audience compared to its previous season and averaged 6.82 million viewers over seven days. In an Instagram video posted on Saturday, Moore shared his frustration with the network’s decision, stating that the show had done nothing wrong and they followed all the guidelines set by CBS.
Moore also applauded the show’s diversity, calling it the most diverse show on CBS and the only African American male lead on broadcast television, excluding streaming or cable shows. He also criticized the network’s decision that Chris O’Donnell, not LL Cool J, was No.1 on the call sheet for ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,’ which is also ending its run this month on CBS.
Moore suggested that there were “a lot of politics involved” in the cancellation decision and referenced licensing fees for the project, which is a co-production of Sony Pictures TV and CBS Studios. While Moore acknowledged that he hoped ‘SWAT’ would live to see another day, he was upset because he had worked hard to prove he could lead the show.
Moore’s video has garnered support from his fans, colleagues, and fellow actors who have called out the lack of diversity on network television. In a March interview with ‘TV’s Top 5’ podcast, executive producer Shawn Ryan said it was “up in the air” whether the show would get picked up for a seventh season, but there was no reason why it shouldn’t be. Ryan added that the economics of the business are changing, and CBS and Sony would have to figure out a way to make season seven work.
However, it remains to be seen whether CBS would reconsider their decision based on Moore’s latest social media post. ‘The Unlisted News’ has reached out to the network for further comments regarding this matter.
Keywords: Shemar Moore, SWAT, CBS, diversity, cancellation, African American, broadcast television, streaming, cable.
